Never Underestimate a Caffarelli

‘You don’t have to physically stand by someone to support them. There are lots of ways to show you care about someone.’ Like taking them on a picnic and arranging a quiet horse to ride so they get their lost confidence back.

Stop it. You’re reading far too much into this.

His hazel eyes met hers. ‘Rafe relies on me to back him up. Remy is like a loose cannon. I guess it’s because we spoilt him so much. He was so young when our parents died. We tried to protect him and as a result he takes a hell of a lot for granted.’

‘You did your best under terrible circumstances. No one could ask more of you than that.’

‘I can’t let Rafe down, but I can’t bear the thought of only being half there.’

She reached for his left hand lying on the rug and squeezed it in her own. ‘You won’t be half there. All of you will be there. Can’t you see that? You are much more than your physical self. Much, much more.’

He picked up her hand and brought it to rest against his chin. She felt the prickle of his stubble against her fingers and a wave of longing rolled through her as his eyes meshed with hers. ‘I wish I’d met you before my accident.’

Her heart gave a sudden kick against her ribcage. ‘Why?’

‘I think I could’ve fallen in love with you.’

Like you have a choice?

‘What’s stopping you now?’ She could not believe she’d just asked that! What was she doing, asking for a slap down? Hadn’t her self-esteem taken enough hits? Why would he fall in love with her?

She was a nondescript brown moth, not a beautiful butterfly.

His fingers moved against hers. They seemed to be relaying a message that was at odds with his words. ‘Reason. Rationality. Responsibility.’

‘The three Rs.’

‘You’ve been reading about me and my brothers.’

Lily decided there was no point pretending she hadn’t. ‘Rakes. Rich. Ruthless. Everyone’s been calling you and your brothers that for years.’

He frowned as he looked at her fingers encased in his own. ‘We’re one down on the rakes. Two, if you count me.’

Lily wondered if he was thinking of his ex. Even if he hadn’t loved Clarissa he must surely be missing the sex. He was an intensely physical man. Virile. Potent.

Irresistible.

He brought his eyes back to hers and her belly did a complicated gymnastics manoeuvre. ‘Do you realise this is the longest period I’ve been celibate?’

‘Wow, must be some sort of record, huh? What is it, six or seven weeks?’ Her face was hot. It felt like it was on fire.

You’re discussing his sex life?

What is wrong with you?

He gave her a grim smile. ‘Nine.’

‘Wow. That’s a long time. It’s like a decade for someone like you, right? Maybe more like a century. Or a millennium.’ Shut up!

His thumb traced a lazy circle over the back of her hand. ‘I guess it’s been even longer for you.’

Lily looked down at their joined hands. Her hand was so small compared to his. Her skin so light. It was like a physical embodiment of everything that was different about the worlds they came from.

Hers was plain and boring.

His was colourful and exciting.

The silence ballooned until it seemed to suck all the oxygen out of the air.

‘Have you...?’

‘I haven’t.’

They had spoken at exactly the same time.

‘You go first,’ Raoul said.

Lily blushed and looked down again at her hand within his. ‘I haven’t got back on the horse, so to speak. It wasn’t that I was all that good at it to start with. I’d had a couple of relationships but I can’t say I ever felt that certain spark everyone talks about.’ Like the one she could feel now as his thumb did another circle on her hand. ‘I guess I’m not a very passionate person. As a sexual partner, I’m what you’d call vanilla, not rocky road.’

His eyes went to her mouth. ‘I hate rocky road. Vanilla is simple and uncomplicated. Understated. Elegant. And it’s a perfect blend with other flavours. It goes with just about anything.’

Were they still talking about ice-cream?

Lily willed him to look at her. Couldn’t he see how much she wanted him? Her body was humming with need. It was a wonder he couldn’t hear it. It was like a roaring sound inside her ears.

Her blood was racing with it.

Firing with it.

Heating with it.

Exploding with it.

She wanted him.